How Did Paul Handle Shelter-in-Place?
Philippians 1 is an interesting passage to look at while we are all under
the yoke of a pandemic. How can any of
this be for good? We just need to get
back to normal. Right? Enough dying.
Enough job loss. Enough home
incarceration.
Certainly, Paul’s circumstances were pretty dire. His real imprisonment is unjust, and is
impeding his ministry and the progress of the gospel. Some say he was handcuffed to a guard. He had the probability of execution hanging
over his head. If I were Paul, I would
be desperate to get out of there, and get back to normal. Albeit, a dynamic, world-saving, death-defying
sort of normal.
What is Paul’s actual attitude? “…my circumstances have
turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.” There doesn’t even appear to be any hint
of disappointment. It’s as if being in
prison is to be expected, as if nothing is out of order.
Would I write the letter in this way? I think not.
When something unjust happens to me I am thrown off balance: how can
this happen? How can God let this
happen? How can God let people say such
things about me? How can God let people act
so badly? And it wasn’t just
unbelievers, it was Christians also! Why
is God standing by while I am being unjustly treated by other believers!? Doesn’t God stand for righteousness, equity, and
a certain amount of fairness?
It is true that Paul speaks of deliverance from his
imprisonment, but he seems quite open to that happening via execution! Would I feel this way? Or do I feel that somehow God owes me a long life,
full of joys and a reasonable amount of ease?
Paul is seeing a different picture than I do. He is motivated by something quite different. His adverse circumstances exceed any I have
experienced, yet his attitude is entirely better than my own when I’m faced
with far less difficulty.
How do I get there? There
is a wide chasm between my own attitudes and Paul’s. How do I bridge that gap? Paul’s attitudes flow from his motives. If I would share Paul’s attitudes, I must
share his goals. This letter says a lot
of about Paul’s heart, his goals. They
shine brightest in the third chapter; that I may know Him… that I may meet
Him. Nothing else compares. But there is more in this little passage. Three motives come to the surface:
- That Christ is proclaimed.
- That Paul would meet Christ.
- That he would help these people.
1. That Christ is Proclaimed
“Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:12–18)
Remarkable. Nothing
would obscure Paul’s vision: he was singleminded. Everyone needed to hear about Jesus! How much time would I have wasted watching
TV, or sulking and complaining. I likely
would have put the whole gospel mission thing on hold – after all, God clearly
isn’t happy with me!
There was something else weighing on Paul - perhaps worse
than the imprisonment and the ever-present guard. Other believers. In fact, other preachers. You see, news about Paul’s imprisonment was
getting around. His guards were having
quite an experience: they spent day and night with a man that, rather than mope
and complain, was constantly praying, writing to Christians, and sharing the
gospel with his visitors. In his
shelter-in-place/quarantine, Paul didn’t entertain himself to death; he worked
for Christ, serving his God, and serving other people. In this sense his imprisonment was for
Christ, in the cause of Christ. He knew
Jesus and he wanted nothing more than to share Jesus with everyone else.
When Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae, he said that
he was a minister (servant) of the gospel message, adding “We proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may
present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving
according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (Colossians
1:28–29) The gospel was his mission, and
prison was just another venue for that message.
The guards witnessed all this, probably with some
astonishment, and would share that with their fellow soldiers back at the
barracks. Eventually, the whole praetorian
guard heard about this, and many others also.
The Christians in Rome – perhaps beyond – had an interesting
reaction to Paul’s imprisonment. It
would be natural to assume that the imprisonment and impending execution of such
a great Christian preacher – the Apostle to the Gentiles – would strike fear into
the heart of the church. Drive it
underground. However, perhaps because of
Paul’s fearless and singular focus on proclaiming Jesus, they were
emboldened. In fact, rather than hide in
fear, they too began to speak out about Jesus.
Now here is where a very strange and sad thing happens. Some of these people are proclaiming Christ while
also taking jabs at Paul. What!? That’s right, they are preaching the gospel
of grace, and contradicting it in the way they preach it. They may be Christian, but they are ungracious
hypocrites. We don’t know the reasons
for this ill-will towards Paul – perhaps it was the radical nature of his
message and mission. Perhaps it was
jealousy for Paul’s fame. Perhaps Paul
had made mistakes or rubbed someone the wrong way. But make no mistake, these were believers –
fellow preachers – that wanted to stick it to Paul, to kick him while he was
down.
Carson: How does Paul handle this?
Is he wounded? Doubtless he has feelings like everyone else. But he is a man of
deep principle, and he perceives that whether by preachers like this or by
preachers who align themselves with the apostle, the gospel is getting out –
and that is more important than whether or not he himself achieves universal
respect in the church….
Paul’s example is impressive and
clear: put the advance of the gospel at the centre of your aspirations. Our own
comfort, our bruised feelings, our reputations, our misunderstood motives – all
of these are insignificant in comparison with the advance and splendour of the
gospel. As Christians, we are called upon to put the advance of the gospel at
the very centre of our aspirations.
The church on earth will always have such mixed-motives
present, because we are sinful and proud creatures. We have thin skin, and nurse our
grudges. Betrayal causes real hurt and
pain. But Christians can’t be this
way, can they? And Christian preachers
and pastors!?
Yes, Paul had not only to reckon with defective preaching –
men with a false gospel, but also defective preachers – men with false
motives. In the latter case, he fell
back on the big picture: “What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I
will rejoice,” (Philippians 1:18)
Fascinating: he doesn’t just say this through gritted teeth, but with a
smile! He rejoiced because people
were hearing about Jesus – and that was the whole point! How many people have come to know the great
Savior through the preaching of a man who would later fall from his
pulpit? From a hypocrite? Paul doesn’t say, “Well, we’re all hypocrites
after all,” which might well be said.
No, he knows full well they harm they intend him, and yet he chooses to
keep his eyes on the prize: the spreading knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. That Paul Would Meet Christ
Paul’s attitudes flow from his motives. If I would share Paul’s attitudes, I must
share his goals. The first we just
covered: that Christ is proclaimed.
The second motive revealed in this section of his letter, is
that Paul would meet Christ.
“Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn
out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of
Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be
put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as
always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live
is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will
mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am
hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with
Christ, for that is very much better;” (Philippians 1:18b–23)
In Paul’s position, I think I should be very much interested
in getting set free. A return to
normalcy. The ability to go where I
please. Or just to be alone! And, sure enough, Paul turns now to the
matter of his “deliverance.” Undoubtedly, the local church – and others –
are praying for his release. In concert
with the help of the mighty Spirit of Christ, he is certain that this release
is coming. What he is less certain
about, however, is whether this release will be from imprisonment, or from this
life.
Hold the phone.
Death. What? Where is Paul’s faith? Where is God’s faithfulness? How is this a good storyline: greatest
missionary ever goes to prison, and later has his head chopped off?
A number of years ago, a friend at work was discussing
Christian persecution with me. He was
not a believer, and was struggling to understand why anyone would rather die
than renounce their faith. We talked
about early Christians who were told to either confess the Roman Emperor as the
only god, or die. Why would anyone
choose the latter? I mean, it’s just
words. I answered, “There are worse
things than death.” For us mortals,
death is the end. It is complete and
utter loss. To God, death is a portal, a
gateway into something else.
““Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to
kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
The body will die, but the soul will live on. Either in hell, as shown or in heaven: “I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)
Paul anticipates heaven.
Not because life is so disappointing and dreadful, but because heaven is
so perfect and wonderful. It turns out
that he would in fact be released from this imprisonment, only to be executed a
few years later. Right before that
happened, he wrote to Timothy:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have
loved His appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6–8)
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
(Philippians 1:21) It’s not that this
life has no value, it is that “to depart and be with Christ… is very much
better;” (Philippians 1:23)
Long before Paul, David sang, “In Your presence is fulness
of joy.” He also wrote, “One thing I
ask of the Lord, this is what I
seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Paul’s goal, his greatest hope, was to stand in the presence
of Jesus Christ. To meet him in
person. To see him face-to-face. To be welcomed and embraced by his
Savior. Staying here on earth was
inferior to that. If his imprisonment
ended with death, so be it. There are
worse things than death. And there are
better things than this life. Far better
to be with Jesus.
3. That Paul Would Help These People
Paul’s attitudes flow from his motives. If I would share Paul’s attitudes, I must
share his goals. His first goal was that
Christ is proclaimed. He second was
that he would meet Christ.
The third motive Paul reveals that Paul wanted to help these
people.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if
I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do
not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having
the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to
remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I
know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in
the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus
through my coming to you again.” (Philippians 1:21–26)
There was tremendous value in serving others. How much?
As desperately as Paul wanted to meet his Savior, he was willing to
defer that in order to help others. He had a mission: to proclaim Jesus. He woke up with that purpose every day. Even in prison. He was vested in other’s progress and joy in
the faith.
I’m out of time to look further into this, but I don’t it
really requires much explanation.
In summary:
Paul was confined to his quarters - a more drastic "shelter-in-place" than most of us are experiencing today, with the threat of
execution hanging over his head. He had
other people saying ugly and untrue things about him, hoping to cause him
pain. Yet, he reacted in a very unique
way. And this was because he had unique
motives:
- That Christ is proclaimed.
- That Paul would meet Christ.
- That he would help these people.
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